


Personal Space

by mahbecks



Series: Don't Stand So Close to Me [1]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Banter, Chill XV, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, Getting Together, Humor, M/M, Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-15
Updated: 2017-07-15
Packaged: 2018-12-02 07:15:04
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,262
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11504373
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mahbecks/pseuds/mahbecks
Summary: What do you do when you stumble into your charge's apartment only to find out he's doing his best friend?You hide in the closet, of course, and hope no one finds you.And, if you're Ignis, you try really, really hard not to focus on the person who hopped into the closet with you - especially when their name is Gladio and you've been crushing on them for literally years.





	Personal Space

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Friday, y'all! 
> 
> I absolutely love this trope. I first read a story with it back in my very first fandom (Bleach, in case anyone is curious, a story of your choice if you can guess my favorite pairing!), and ever since, I've been tickled by it. So much so that I've written a closet-esque story in just about every fandom I've participated in, hahahaha. And after a bit of inspiration this afternoon, I thought I'd give it a try for this fandom! :)

_“Ooh, get those doughnut things. The ones with the little sprinkles and powdered sugar.”_

“Sprinkles _and_ powdered sugar?” Ignis asked, appalled. He used his free hand to push his glasses farther up the bridge of his nose, barely biting back a heated diatribe on the horrors of pre-packaged cake products.

 _“Yeah,”_ Noctis shot back. _“Got a problem with that?”_

“Several, actually.”

 _“Oh, and tell him to get chips!”_ a second voice added, slightly muffled. Prompto, Ignis decided. He must've gotten off work early, if he was already at Noctis' apartment.

 _“Chips?”_ Noctis asked. “ _Really?”_

_“Oh, sure, ho-ho’s are cool, but we gotta draw the line at chips! Hard nope on them!”_

_“We eat chips all the time, Prom, there’s nothing special about chips-”_

_“But I_ like _chips!”_

Ignis sighed. “I’ll buy Prompto the chips, Noct,” he said. “Is there anything else you need for the evening?”

 _“Mmmm, hang on, lemme check the fridge.”_ There was a brief pause, followed by the faint sound of a refrigerator door opening and closing. _“Uh, I’m out of soda.”_

“Will a pack of twelve be sufficient?”

_“Oh, yeah. Prompto doesn’t drink soda.”_

“Soda, doughnuts, and chips. Alright. I’m on my way to the store now.”

A small lie - he was already _at_ the grocery store, sitting outside in the parking lot with his phone pressed to his ear. But Noctis didn’t need to know that, just as he didn’t need to know that Ignis had been waiting at least half an hour for him to finally pick up the phone and call.

Some things were just a part of the job.

_“Thanks, Specs. You’re the best.”_

“Of course.”

Pocketing the phone, Ignis stepped out of the car and headed into the supermarket, grabbing a basket as he passed through the doors. The cold gush of air that met him sent a little shiver down his spine, a reaction he suppressed as best he could as he walked towards the aisles where he knew the junk food was located.

He found what he was looking for easily enough, selecting the larger packages when he was presented with the option. Prompto was staying over for the duration of the weekend, and while Ignis was more than happy to go and get the boys more supplies if necessary, he knew they liked to shut themselves away during these little video game marathons they were so fond of.

Sighing at the nutritional information on the back of the bag of doughnuts, Ignis turned and headed for the produce department. Not for Noctis, of course. He’d only experienced the results of attempting to sneak in vegetables to a gaming weekend once, but once was enough. He would make no such further attempts in the future.

Not on Friday’s.

“Iggy?”

Ignis looked up from the salad mix he'd been perusing, surprised. “Gladio,” he murmured.

The other man was standing by a bin of apples, a fruit in each hand. He nodded when he saw Ignis, putting the apples into a bag to join several others before tying them up.

Ignis felt obliged to step forward and begin a conversation, even though he had somewhere to be - it was only polite, after all. It had nothing to do with the fact that Gladio was dressed in a pair of very low-hung sweatpants and a dark, tight t-shirt, or the fact that his wet hair signified he’d clearly just showered and smelled like sheer, clean masculine perfection.

Not a damn thing.

“Shopping for your dinner?” he asked, clearing his throat.

“What, this?” Gladio shook his head. He chuckled, the deep, rich sound of it setting Ignis’ blood afire. “Nah. Just needed a few things.”

“I see.”

Dark eyes flicked down to Ignis’ shopping basket, and Gladio lifted an eyebrow when he saw the contents. “Plannin’ on sendin’ yourself into a sugar coma?”

Ignis frowned. “Of course not,” he said, “these are for Noctis and Prompto.” He held up the salad. "This is for me."

“Awful lotta stuff for one night.”

“Hadn’t you heard?” Ignis asked dryly. “This is one of their gaming weekends.”

“Huh. Haven’t had one of those in a while, have they?”

“Not since the great bender of ninth grade,” Ignis replied.

“You gonna keep tabs on ‘em? Make sure they’re stayin’ hydrated?”

“Naturally.”

“Need any help?”

_Yes, please, share in the misery of monitoring two teenaged boys as they deprive themselves of basic nutrition and ignore simple hygiene in favor of shooting imaginary soldiers and solving inane puzzles. Come home with me, help me monitor things, and while you’re at it, kiss me senseless-_

“No, thank you,” Ignis replied, giving his friend a tight-lipped smile. “I have the situation under control.”

“Iggy, c’mon,” Gladio said. “You’re gonna bore yourself to tears.”

“It’s a part of my job to watch out for Noctis, Gladio,” Ignis said. “Whatever it is he may be doing with his time. Besides, I’m perfectly capable of entertaining myself for the evening.”

“And tomorrow?” Gladio shot back. “How ‘bout Sunday? Because you know they won’t stop ‘til they finish the damn thing.”  

He did know that. Noctis may have been ambivalent about many things in his life, but video games weren’t one of them. He wouldn’t rest until each and every side quest was complete, every villain decimated, and no paths untaken.

Somedays, it gave Ignis hope for Noct's future reign as King - perhaps one day that single-minded focus would be transferred to other areas. Most days, it exasperated him.

“Tell you what. What if I come over?”

Ignis paused, ignoring the little voice inside his head screaming for him to eagerly accept the invitation. It would be so easy to say yes, to give in and tell the other to come over whenever that he wanted.

But this was unprecedented. He and Gladio were friends, yes, and they had been for years. It was an easy friendship, one born of constant proximity and shared responsibilities. The fact that they had a surprising amount in common hadn’t hurt either. But their relationship, for what it was, had never extended beyond the towering walls of the Citadel. They met up when they were on breaks, and when they sparred in the training rooms. They ate lunch in the cafeteria together, and occasionally sat down to have a cup of coffee and discuss their travails.

Neither of them had ever extended the other an invitation to hang out after hours, so to speak. And they had certainly never invited _themselves_ over before either.

...he should accept, yes?

“Sorry to just spring that on you like that,” Gladio said suddenly.

Ignis blinked.

“I just thought… maybe you’d want some company,” he continued, running a hand through his hair. It sent a wave of clean, freshly scented air in Ignis’ direction, and he fought not to openly breathe it in. “But it may’ve been too-”

“No.”

Gladio paused, mouth still half-open in speech. “No?”

“It’s not too forward,” Ignis said. “And yes. Company would… company might be nice, for a change.”

Gladio offered him a tentative smile. “Yeah?”

“I have to take these to Noctis and Prompto, and then I can meet you back at my apartment.” Ignis turned, heart beginning to thud in anticipation, and made for the check-out counter. A strong, warm hand caught his wrist, thumb trailing along bare skin.

Again, a shiver went down Ignis’ spine, and this time it had nothing to do with the cold.

“Uh, Iggy?”

Ignis snatched his hand away as if he’d been burned. “Yes?” he asked.

 _Breathless,_ he thought. _Get yourself together. He barely even touched you._

“I, uh, don’t exactly know where you live.”

Oh.

_Oh._

He should’ve realized it earlier. Of course Gladio didn’t know his address. It had taken them years just to exchange _phone numbers_.

“Ah, well… you could follow me to Noctis’ apartment,” Ignis suggested. “It won’t take me but a moment to drop things off.”

“Yeah, sounds good,” Gladio said, nodding. “What do you drive again?”

Ignis briefly described the make and model of his car as they headed towards the self-service kiosks. Gladio nodded appreciatively, said a few things about the torque and horsepower, and then launched into a detailed description of his own car, an antique model inherited from his father - and his father before him.

He was very animated as he spoke, Ignis noted, watching as amber eyes danced and alit with joy. It was endearing, much more so than it should been. Prompto was much the same, only with more arm waving and less hand gestures, but Ignis had never once felt anything more than friendship for him. No, there was just something about Gladio, something compelling, something powerful and strong and deeply, deeply attractive to Ignis.

Animal magnetism, he supposed was the term for it.

“You should lemme take you for a ride sometime,” Gladio enthused, setting his groceries on the stand and starting to check himself out. “Ridin’ on the freeway, late at night… man.” He grinned, shaking his head. “Nothing else like it.”

“I would like that.”

Gladio’s eyes flicked over to him, and Ignis thought he might happily die in the warmth he found there. “Me too.”

Ignis stood there a moment, captivated, lost in his own thoughts. Could it be that Gladio felt something for him too? Could it be that he’d missed something, some sign over the years that would indicate interest? He flew back over his memories, trying to think of something, _anything,_ that might indicate Gladio shared his attraction. The man had always been warm and kind to Ignis, that was certain, but was there something beneath the nice facade? Something simmering just beneath the surface of their every interaction-

“Sir?”

Ignis turned, blinking down at the hand on his elbow. One of the store’s employees had caught his sleeve, pointing with her free hand to the next available kiosk. “We’ve got an open station.”

“Ah - yes. Yes, of course.”

Just like that, the spell was broken, and Ignis hurried off to complete his purchases.

Gladio met him outside the store, jingling his keys in his hand. “You ready?”

“I’ll meet you at Noctis’,” Ignis replied.

“Sure thing.”

Ignis made his way to his car, breathing in a deep sigh of relief when he finally sank down into the driver’s seat. He was sweating, he realized, and a quick look to his mirror told him he was flushed.

_Embarrassing, to have such a reaction from so little._

Had Gladio noticed?

He hoped he hadn’t.

The drive to Noctis’ apartment was short, but it felt like a lifetime to Ignis. Never had ten minutes passed so slowly, or the normal traffic felt so tedious. His fingers were drumming irritably against the steering wheel, brows drawn down into a frown as he hit one, two, and then three red lights in quick succession. This was getting ridiculous, and he huffed out a frustrated breath as yet another car attempted to block the intersection.

Behind him, Gladio looked maddeningly nonchalant.

Maddeningly handsome too, if Ignis were honest. He caught Ignis’ gaze then, flashing him a grin and a wave, and Ignis jerked his eyes back to the road.

_Embarrassing._

Luckily for him - and the car in front of him, to be truthful - the next turn was his, and Ignis pulled into the familiar parking lot. Gladio took the space next to him, surprising Ignis when he got out of the car and walked over.

“You don’t have to go inside,” Ignis protested. “I’ll be quick.”

Gladio shrugged. “Beats sittin’ outside in this heat,” he said. He waved a hand towards the staircase to led to the second story. “Lead on.”

“If you insist.”

Noctis’ apartment was near the end of the hall, several expensive security cameras lining the walls. A stipulation for allowing him to live outside the Citadel, Ignis realized, the feeds directly linked to the Crown’s security centers. He was used to their presence, their existence a sad necessity, but Gladio came here less frequently, and he didn’t seem able to resist waving up at whoever was watching. Again, Ignis found it endearing.

Again, Ignis chided himself for being ridiculous.

He raised a hand, rapping his knuckles against the cool surface of the door. “Noct?” he asked. “It’s me.”

There was no answer.

“Huh.” Gladio took a step closer. “Think he’s busy?”

“Unless they started already, I doubt it,” Ignis said, frowning. “Perhaps they’re watching television.” Handing the groceries off to Gladio, he pulled his phone out of his pocket and dialed his charge’s number. It rang… and rang and rang, but after a few moments, it went straight to voicemail, and Ignis sighed. “No answer.”

“Just go on in,” Gladio suggested. He crowded in a little closer to Ignis, and Ignis’ breath caught in his throat. “Probably unlocked, knowing Noct.”

Ignis tested the knob, rolling his eyes when the door easily swung inwards. He was going to have to talk to Noctis about this. It was deplorable, really. What if someone attempted to break in and hurt him? He’d been training with Gladio for years now and was quite capable of defending himself, but for _shame._

Locking a door at night was just plain common sense.

Neither Prompto nor Noctis were anywhere to be seen, the front room completely empty. Gladio moved into the kitchen, setting the bags down on the counter, while Ignis took a few steps further into the apartment. “Noct?” he called out softly. “Prompto?”

Again, there was no answer.

“Bedroom?” Gladio guessed. He’d come to stand by Ignis, brushing against his shoulder - whether on purpose or by accident, Ignis couldn’t tell.

Ignis frowned. “Why would they be in the bedroom?” he asked.

Gladio gave him a flat look. “Iggy. C’mon.”

Ignis scowled. “I don’t appreciate your tone, Gladio-”

“Seriously? You never noticed?”

“Noticed _what?_ ”

Gladio snorted, shaking his head. “Y’know, for such a smart guy, you sometimes miss a lot,” he said.

“And what is that supposed to mean?”

“Just that - _shit!”_ Gladio snapped his mouth shut when the door to the bedroom banged open, a stream of light falling on the darkened hallway.

“I think I left it in here,” Noctis said, not bothering to quiet his voice. “Just a sec-”

 _“Noct -_ c’mon, really? We haven’t had sex in there for ages!”

Ignis blanched in shock, just as Gladio grabbed his arm and drug him backwards, towards the closet they’d passed on their way into the apartment. Without so much as a glance at Ignis, he yanked the door open, pushed Ignis in, and then scrambled in behind him, easing the door shut behind them as quietly as possible.

They were engulfed in darkness, the space uncomfortably tight for two fully grown men, and Ignis shuffled around, trying to find a more comfortable position.

“What are you-”

A large hand covered his lips. “Quiet,” Gladio murmured, so close Ignis could feel his breath on his face.

“I can’t-” Ignis made a frustrated noise, trying to ignore what he thought was a set of golf clubs digging a hole into his back. “I’m going to fall over.”

“Yeah, well I don’t exactly got much room myself -” Gladio shifted closer, one of his legs pressing between Ignis’ thighs, and Ignis hissed.

“ _Gladio!”_

“What?”

“You’re stepping on my foot!”

_And touching my cock, Astrals preserve me._

“Oh, sorry.” Gladio shuffled again, trying to find a better position. His thigh pressed a little harder against Ignis, and that, combined with the dark and the warmth and Gladio’s hand gripping at his hip to keep him steady _,_ nearly did Ignis in. He bit his lip, barely suppressing a groan as he felt his cock stir to life in his trousers.

This couldn’t be happening.

This could _not_ be happening.

Of all the places for this happen - here? Now? With _Gladio_?

“Lemme just-” Gladio continued to move around, spreading Ignis’ legs a little wider with his foot. Ignis bit his lip, trying his best not to think of the delicious pressure against his cock, or how big and strong and damn _muscular_ Gladio’s thigh was, or how easy it would be to jerk his hips forward, to rub against that thigh like a wild cat in heat-

Unbidden, a groan slipped past his lips, and Gladio stilled.

“Uh… Ignis?”

Ignis didn’t reply, not trusting himself to speak.

Gladio reached a hand down between them, trailing it ever so slowly across Ignis’ hip until he reached the apex of his thighs. There he hesitated, hand stilling in its path, toying with the button holding the fabric together.

“It’s nothing,” he muttered. “Don’t worry about it - natural reaction.”

Ignis nearly choked. “Is it?” he asked.

“...what’s that supposed to mean?”

Oh, to hell with it.

There was no hope of escaping this unscathed now. He fondly waved farewell to his erstwhile friendship with Gladio, pulling the other’s hand down until it was resting firmly against his length, unable to resist grinding up into his palm.

“You never noticed?” he asked, repeating Gladio’s words from earlier. Against him, Gladio had frozen, and Ignis bitterly pressed on. “Do you think this has anything to do with the fact that I’m in a closet and nothing to do with the fact that I’m in here with _you?_ ”

He relinquished his grip on Gladio, pulling back as much as he could without falling over.

“Iggy… I-”

“ _You find it?”_

_“Not yet!”_

Prompto and Noctis’ voices were faint, muffled by the door, and Ignis clenched his eyes shut, frustrated beyond belief. How long did it take one to find something in such a small apartment? He wasn’t sure how much more of this he could take, already mortified beyond belief.  

“ _Ah, got it!”_

“ _Finally!”_

_“Shuddup!”_

A set of soft, padding footsteps were followed by the closing of a door, and Ignis breathed a sigh of relief. “Good,” he murmured, “Now we can leave-”

“What if I don’t want to?”

Ignis stilled. Oh, how he wished he could see Gladio’s face, to better gauge what he was thinking. With only his words for guidance, Ignis was forced to rely on tonal cues, always much harder to interpret than nonverbal cues.

“Gladio-”

“Shh.” Gladio held a finger to his lips and shifted his hips once more, this time bringing their hips together - and pressing his own clear arousal firmly against Ignis’.

Ignis barely suppressed a moan, hand clenching around Gladio’s wrist.

“I noticed,” Gladio murmured, leaning forward and bumping Ignis’ nose with his own. “Did you?”

Ignis opened his mouth, a question already formed on his lips, but then Gladio was kissing him, and all thought of speech perished as a flood of heat washed over him, threatening to drown him in its intensity. He moaned, pressing forward, and Gladio caught him, strong arms snaking around him and pulling him in tight. His lips were forceful, not at all gentle, and demanding - much the way Gladio was in a fight, Ignis thought. Aggressive. Determined. A force of nature.

His tongue swept into Ignis’ mouth, licking at his teeth, coaxing his own tongue up to join in, drinking down every little noise Ignis made, intentional or otherwise, and his teeth nipped at Ignis’ lips. As far as first kisses went it was…

Well.

To borrow a favorite phrase of Gladio’s - “pretty fucking fantastic”.

Ignis was steadily rocking up into Gladio at this point, too close to release to bother feeling embarrassed at how quickly he was getting off. Gladio didn’t seem to mind, having broken the kiss to press his lips against Ignis’ ear, murmuring breathy little encouragements with every other sharp, ragged inhalation.

“C’mon, Iggy. You’re so fucking close, I can feel it - gods, you’re so fucking sexy. I wish I could see your face. I wanna watch you as you come-”

“ _Gladio,_ ” Ignis breathed, too aroused by Gladio’s words to be embarrassed. He had always had a bit of a thing for Gladio’s voice, and now, hearing him say such wonderful, scandalous things, whispered into his ear, no less? Gods, but his skin felt two sizes too small, and his toes were curling up in his shoes in want, and it still wasn’t enough.

He moaned helplessly, jerking his hips up, his length aching in his trousers.

“Here, lemme help-”

Gladio forced him to quiet his motions and slipped a hand into his pants, gripping him firmly. Ignis yelped at the touch, and Gladio yanked his head down, forcing Ignis’ face down into his neck. “Shhh,” he said. “Gotta be quiet.”

“I don’t _want_ to be quiet,” Ignis retorted, even as he pressed his nose into the skin of Gladio’s collarbone and breathed deeply, drinking in the mingled scents of sweat, skin, and cologne. It was intoxicating, more so than it had any right to be, and he was already half in-love with the idea of waking up to it every morning.

He was getting a little ahead of himself, probably.

He didn’t care.

Gladio chuckled. “Eager,” he muttered, giving Ignis a few experimental strokes. Ignis jerked in his grip, and he added, “Responsive, too. Fuck.”

He changed his strokes, moving more slowly this time, easing his fist up the shaft of Ignis’ cock until he reached the head. He thumbed the slit, Ignis shuddering against him, and then moved down, working his fingers against the sensitive spot just along the underside of the head.

“I’m close,” Ignis panted, hand clutching hard at Gladio’s bicep.

“Yeah? Me too.”

“You-”

It was only then that Ignis realized Gladio was still rutting up against him, jerking himself off as Ignis lay helpless in his grip. Though he couldn’t see it, the mental image his mind produced was almost good enough, and he jerked, so close to orgasm, right on the precipice-

“This is too much for one friendship to take,” he murmured. Gladio didn’t seem to hear him.

“Wish I could see your face though,” he said again, breath hitching slightly with the admittance. “I wanna see the look in your eyes when I make you come.”

Ignis keened, stiffening as he came, hard, spilling himself over Gladio’s hand.

“Shit,” Gladio breathed, working him through it with an expert, practiced grip, not letting go until he’d milked Ignis’ orgasm for all it was worth. He withdrew his hand, Ignis already mourning the loss of it, and then, much to Ignis’ surprise, he brought it to his face, and -

Ignis inhaled sharply, not mistaking the sound of someone licking their fingers. “Gladio-”

“Help me out here?”

Ignis wordlessly obliged, relinquishing his grip on the other in favor of grabbing for his cock, not bothering to remove his glove as he stroked up and down the length of it. Gladio moaned softly, continuing to suck at his fingers, and _Six,_ but if that wasn’t getting Ignis hard again. He decided to work quickly, getting Gladio off as quickly and as best as he could so that they could leave and-

Well.

He was hoping there would be more later, his spirits buoyed by Gladio’s eager response and earlier words. But perhaps he shouldn’t get his hopes up.

“Ah - fuck, Iggy, right there, right _fucking_ there, I-”

Gladio’s hips snapped up into Ignis’ fist, his hand like a vice on the back of Ignis’ neck, and Ignis felt a surge of triumph, sensing the other was close.

“Go on,” he murmured, lips teasing the other’s skin. “Come for me.”

Gladio obeyed, sagging against Ignis as his orgasm hit him. His thighs were trembling from supporting both of their weights, and Ignis gently leaned them back against the door jamb.

“Wow,” Gladio breathed, panting. “That was-”

“Unexpected.”

Gladio snorted. “I was gonna say amazing, but I guess that’s true too.” He shifted, slipping his softening cock back into his sweatpants, and Ignis took a step back, sensing the moment had passed. “So, uh, we should… we should get out of here, right?”

“Obviously,” Ignis drawled, barely resisting the urge to snort himself.

“Okay. You… good? Back in your pants?”

Ignis tucked himself away. “Ready.”

Gladio turned, opening the door a fraction of an inch. “Don’t see anyone,” he murmured. “Must still be in the bedroom.”

“Noctis and Prompto,” Ignis said, shaking his head. “Together.”

“Can’t believe you didn’t know,” Gladio muttered.

“I can’t believe you _did_ know.”

“Please,” Gladio scoffed, opening the door a bit wider and waving Ignis out. They tiptoed to the front door, slipping in and out as quietly as they could. Ignis flinched when the lock clinched into place, but Gladio was already dragging him down the stairs and back to their cars, so he didn’t pause to give it much thought.

He gently pushed Ignis against the driver’s side door, hands on either side of his hips. He was smiling, a big, toothy grin that on anyone else would have looked ridiculous.

On Gladio, it was just stupidly, maddeningly attractive.

“So,” he said, “...you still up for hanging out tonight?”

“Yes,” Ignis replied. He put a hand on Gladio’s forearm, pleased when Gladio leaned into the casual touch.

“You up for maybe doing something other than just watching tv?”

“That depends,” Ignis said, “what did you have in mind?”

“I got a few things I’d like to do with you.”

“With me?” Ignis asked daringly. “Or to me?”

Gladio’s eyes danced wickedly. “Both.”

“In that case…” Ignis flicked his eyes up, sending Gladio a heated stare over the rims of his glasses. “Yes, on all accounts.”

Gladio chuckled, leaning down and pressing a swift kiss to Ignis’ lips. “I like the sound of that.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! 
> 
> Drop a kudo, leave a comment? They're what keeps me motivated :) 
> 
> I'm contemplating a sequel where they talk about what happened. Who knows? Maybe it'll happen.


End file.
